From DailyTech: For the masses waiting on their oft laggard Android carrier and OEM to update their device to the latest and greatest version of Google Inc.'s (GOOG) operating system (which is currently Android 4.4 "KitKat") CyanogenMod (aka "CM") has offered an escape route.
While the reach of this replacement firmware package was long limited by complicated installation procedures -- procedures that required a fair degree of user tech savvy as the user navigated through as many as 20 steps (a process CM's authors described as admittedly "brutal") -- as many as 24 million Android users may already have taken the plunge, according to CEO Kirk McMaster (this estimate includes unregistered users; 9 million users went through the trouble of officially registering themselves).
Now that reach is poised to expand dramatically as CM has released -- as promised -- an installer app to grossly simplify this process. To get started you just grab the CM installer from the Google Play store (the installer was at last approved today), grab the PC client app, and connect your Android tablet or smartphone to the PC. From there the client takes over, requiring just a few straightforward approval click-throughs. Behind the scenes the installer app and PC client use scripting to do all that heavy, geeky lifting for you, allowing the tech "n00b" and enthusiast alike to experience CM.
The only disappointing news is that the KitKat distributions for CM remain in the beta phase (as CyanogenMod 11). They're available here for experienced users willing to deal with potential bugs, but for entry-level users who opt for the easy-installer it appears they'll be receiving CM 10, which is based on the Android 4.3.1 ("Jelly Bean") source.
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